A proposal for 24 homes in Garlinge has been refused

Thanet council has refused an application for 24 houses to be built on land off Briary Close in Garlinge.

Hume Planning Consultancy submitted an application for 17 market and 7 social rented properties for the 1.10 hectare site which lays between Garlinge and Westgate.

The properties are described as 10 x 2 bed houses, 10 x 3 bed houses and 4 x 4 bed houses. Vehicle access to the site is proposed from Briary Close at the north-east corner of the site and is designed as a ‘continuation’ of the Briary Close carriageway.

Hume lays out plans for 52 parking spaces and a cycle storage area in its design statement to TDC and adds: “The indicative housing mix presented demonstrates that the site is capable of delivering a good range of house types and sizes, which seeks to reflect the applicant’s aspiration to balance market demands whilst addressing identified local housing needs.”

Refusal

The application was refused on the grounds that no detailed masterplan was submitted and no legal agreement was made to provide 30% affordable housing.

The planning officer also raised concerns that it would undermine the site allocation for 1,000 homes in the draft local plan. The homes are earmarked for land to the east and west of Minster Road, Westgate.

Appeal?

The refusal could be appealed as Thanet council does not have an active five-year housing plan because the Local Plan – a blueprint for housing, business and infrastructure across the isle- ran out in 2011 and a new plan is still only in the draft and consultation stages.

The lack of an active Local Plan with housing supply proposals leaves TDC open to landowner appeals when planning applications are refused.

Local authorities are obliged to have a five-year housing land supply as part of the National Planning Policy Framework published in March 2012 by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The Government says the aim of the framework is to make the planning system less complex and more accessible.

If a local authority does not have a clearly stated five-year housing land supply, planning policies for new homes will be considered out of date.

This means a planning inspector can override a local decision on appeal using this one provision.